DAWN/The News International, KARACHI 20 March 2008, Thursday, 11 Rabiul Awal 1429
www.karachipage.com (click on underlined key-words/dates to get more details)
Order reserved on Asif’s acquittal plea: Justice Nizam case
Quaid mausoleum gang-rape case botched
Petition filed against detention of al-Qaeda suspect
5 indicted in Turabi killing case
Cop, Minor boy found murdered
‘Night riders’ sow fear in strife-hit areas
FC man killed in Quetta (more)
PPP activist ‘burnt alive by rivals’ dies (more)
Former AJK minister shot dead (more)
Fehmida makes it by 2/3rds majority (more)
Fahim gives Zardari a back-handed compliment (more)
No mention of Musharraf in attack on dictatorship (more)
Lashkar-e-Islam volunteers demolish houses of kidnappers (more)
US contract for supply of F-16s’ warfare systems (more)
Order reserved on Asif’s acquittal plea: Justice Nizam case

KARACHI, March 19: The additional district and sessions judge, central, Soofia Latif, on Wednesday reserved her judgment on an acquittal plea of Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari from Justice Nizam murder case till March 24 after recording final arguments from both sides.

The defence counsel, Shahadat Awan, had moved the application under Section 249-A of the Criminal Procedure Code (power of a magistrate to acquit the accused at any stage) for the cancellation of charges against his client.

The counsel said it was an exemplary criminal case in which five charge-sheets were filed by the investigation agencies in four years with addition of dishonest improvements in each report every time. He argued that two sets of accused were charge-sheeted in the case at different times.

He further said that the so-called confessional statements of Babar Sindhu and Akhtar Javed Pirzada were obtained under duress. As mentioned in their written application, Mr Sindhu and Mr Pirzada disclosed that they were tortured and their signatures were obtained on a blank paper. They prayed for exclusion of such statements from the investigation.

The defence counsel pointed out that no notice under Section 265-C of the CrPC was served on his client Asif Ali Zardari and any statement recorded in his absence could not be used against him. He said that the so-called statements could not be termed the statements of approvers as the consent of legal heirs of the deceased was not obtained for declaring them approvers, which was the legal requirement.

Mr Awan argued that the then government and its agencies had falsely implicated Mr Zardari in the murder case of a former judge and a lawyer in order to turn the bench and bar against him. He said his client failed to get speedy justice. He even could not be indicted in the case despite the passage of over 12 years, the counsel concluded, pleading to acquit Mr Zardari from the case.

Special Public Prosecutor Niamat Ali Randhawa represented the state in the case. But he did not oppose the acquittal application. The court reserved its order for pronouncement on the next date of hearing.

Asif Ali Zardari, Akhtar Javed Pirzada, Bilal Shaikh and Babar Sindhu are facing double murder charges. Justice Nizam Ahmed of the Sindh High Court and his son Nadeem Ahmed, a lawyer, were shot dead on June 10, 1996, in front of their PECHS residence.

The complainant, retired Group Captain Sikandar, who was a brother-in-law of the justice, had lodged an FIR (357/1996) at the Ferozabad police station under Section 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The killings were attributed to a dispute over a prized plot near Awami Markaz as Justice Nizam Ahmed had opposed its commercialisation and illegal allotment.

Quaid mausoleum gang-rape case botched

The 19-year-old girl who went missing on March 15 and was allegedly gang-raped by five employees of the Quaid’s Mausoleum for 36 hours, again went missing after identifying one of the assailants during the identification process on Tuesday night (March 18).

The victim identified the accused, Syed Khadim Hussain Shah, during the identification process at the office of the Resident Engineer, who supervises the employees at the mausoleum.

The girl who, until Tuesday evening, was residing at a shelter home arranged by War Against Rape (WAR) has now gone missing.

The police rejected her testimony by claiming her to be “mentally unstable” after the incident, even though the victim in no way was unprepared or unstable at the time of identification, as observed by The News at the resident engineer’s office.

“I can recognise the men if I see them,” she said as she insisted that the mausoleum’s employees be called at the office for identification which Mohammad Arif, the Resident Engineer of Management, readily agreed to.

The men were called in groups of ten for identification and the process lasted till 11.30 p.m., when she recognised one man.

However, the accused in question has been set free as he is allegedly said to have been employed at the mausoleum on a very high recommendation by the minister for environment, according to reliable sources at WAR. “It is too early to say anything. She identified the wrong man,” the Investigation Officer of the Brigade Police Station, Sabir Hussain, insisted while talking to The News.

It is also learnt from a WAR official, Sarah Zaman, that, after releasing the man, the WAR team was physically forced to leave by Aga Asif Kerbalai, a representative of Jaffria Alliance and a trustee of Shah-e-Khurasan who had been supporting the family with the case and helped them lodge an FIR (50/2008) at the Brigade police station against the mausoleum’s administration.

The physical attack was prompted by the intervention of PPP MPA Shehla Raza, who accused the WAR team of kidnapping the girl, although the WAR team was taking the girl back to the shelter home on a special request by the Investigation Officer.

“The mob attacked the vehicle of the WAR team, dragging the girl out from the back seat, while threatening the WAR members at the same time. All this happened while the police stood there passively and made no efforts to halt the assault,” said Zaman. The WAR officials then left the scene.

Inspector Sabir, however, denied these claims and said the girl has gone to stay with her relatives in Manora along with her father, uncle and husband.

On being questioned about the contact details, he said he did not have the numbers of any. On the other hand, the WAR officials have been receiving calls from the girl’s father, Basheer Ahmed, who claims that his daughter is not with him but at the NGO’s shelter home and insisted that the officials set her free because he has been receiving threats and wished to return to his hometown.

The girl, who was accompanied by her husband and relatives comprising over 20 people, was sexually assaulted at the Quaid’s Masoleum on Saturday evening. Since the victim was not in a condition to narrate her ordeal, her father, Basheer Ahmed provided The News with details of the case.

The family had been visiting the city from their home town in district Lodhran, Punjab, and, after visiting Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine in Karachi on Saturday morning, they headed to Quaid’s mausoleum in the evening. According to Basheer Ahmed, his daughter went missing from outside the resident engineer’s office on Tuesday night, when her husband had stepped out of the mausoleum to bring some relatives inside who had been waiting in a bus.

“My daughter was guarding the shoes of some of our relatives who were inside the museum. There were some others waiting outside, so my son-in-law asked my daughter to wait inside as he went out to get them. Just then, a power outage occurred at the museum, and, when my son-in-law returned, he could not find her,” said Ahmed.

As the family searched for the girl, they asked the mausoleum officials to help them and announce through a microphone that she had gone missing, but they refused to do so as the mausoleum did not have a stand-by generator. “After sending the family back to Lodhran, the girl’s father, uncle and husband stayed back to search for her and they waited outside the museum through the night. The family tried to approach the police to lodge an FIR but their plea went unheard until they were approached by Aga Asif Kerbalai who saw the family waiting outside on Sunday evening.

Khalida of WAR said that Aga Asif then helped the family to register an FIR at the Brigade police station.

A few hours after lodging the FIR on Sunday night, the girl was recovered at 4.00 a.m. on Monday in a semi-conscious state outside the mausoleum from where she was sent for a medico-legal examination.

“The assault has been proved, but, because she is married and also says that she was heavily drugged, there are no signs of resistance as such,” said Khalida.

Although the girl has been stating that she had been raped at a store room in the museum, the police insist that she stated during the FIR that “a man took her from the mausoleum to an unidentified location on a motorbike”.

Moreover, from the police surgeon’s office, the girl was taken by the police (assisted by the WAR team) to the place of the incident inside the Mausoleum where she identified the storage room, which was locked. According to the Resident Engineer, the room had not been in use since February 27, 2008. However, eyewitnesses, who insisted that the room be unlocked, also found evidence which included stained clothes.

Petition filed against detention of al-Qaeda suspect

A petition was filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the detention of an alleged al-Qaeda activist under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

Ms Shaheena submitted that her son Osman Ghani was acquitted by the Anti-Terrorism Court in Karachi in the US diplomat killing case on March 5, but, soon after his release, the intelligence agencies rearrested him and he was detained in Central Prison by the Sindh Home Department under the MPO.

The petitioner said that the detention was illegal as he was acquitted by the ATC in all charges.

The court was prayed to set aside the MPO order and order the release of the detainee forthwith. The petition will be taken up by the court on Monday.

5 indicted in Turabi killing case

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Karachi arraigned five defendants for masterminding a suicide attack on Pakistan Islami Tehrik leader Allama Hassan Turabi in July 2006.

Mohammad Amin alias Khalid Shaheen, Sultan Mehmood alias Saifullah, Mohammad Rehman alias Mani, Ashfaq Qureshi and Mohammad Akbar Khan were charged with masterminding a suicide attack on Allama Turabi and preparing a suicide bomber for executing their plan.

The defendants, who were indicted after 18 months of their arrest, however, denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.

Allama Hasan Turabi along with his nephew Imran Ali was killed in a suicide bomb blast outside his residence in the limits of Sachal police station on July 14, 2006.

According to the prosecution, the alleged suicide bomber, later identified as Abdul Karim, had blown himself up with the explosive material as the late Hasan Turabi reached his residence after attending a protest rally against Israeli aggression against Palestine and Lebanon.

Three policemen Azhar Hussain, Fakhar Hussain, Mohammad Rashid and a woman Ms Noreen were also injured in the blast.

The ATC headed by judge Ahmed Nawaz Sheikh, after indictment of the defendants, adjourned the hearing till April 9 and directed the Special Public Prosecutor Naimat Ali Randhawa to produce the prosecution witnesses on the next date of hearing.

The aforementioned accused were also charged with triggering a bomb blast to kill Allama Hasan Turabi on April 6, 2006.

According to the prosecution, the accused planted a remote-controlled bomb in a pushcart to kill Allam Turabi while he was travelling on the Abul Hasan Isfahani Road in the limits of Mubina Town police station but he escaped unhurt in that attempt.

However, Murtaza Turabi, son of Hasan Turabi, gunman Mashooq and other pedestrian were injured in the blast. Five co-accused Mufti Ilyas, Hazrat Ali, Sohail Siddiqui, Ali Hasan and Khalid were still at large.

Kidnapping for ransom case: The ATC headed by Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch, meanwhile, adjourned the hearing of a kidnapping case against four accused, after recording the statements of the complainant and the abductee.

Yaseen Ghori, Arshad, Aurangzaib and Babu were facing trial for kidnapping Amir Abdali for ransom from the Soldier Bazaar area.

According to the prosecution, the accused kidnapped Abdali and demanded Rs2.5 million for his release. The accused were arrested after a shootout and the abductee was recovered from their custody.

The abductee, while recording his statement, identified the kidnappers. The statement of the complainant, Mohammad Iqbal, was also recorded who also implicated the accused for the offence. Mushtaq Ahmed advocate is representing the accused.

Cop, Minor boy found murdered

A body of a minor boy was found, in Airport police limits on Wednesday.

The body of Allah Wasaya, 3, hanged and bearing torture marks, was found from the Airport police limits. Police said that the child’s body was found from Khoosa Goth and a case was lodged on complaint of the deceased’s father Jalil Ahmed.

Jalil Ahmed said that on Tuesday at about 4pm, Allah Wasaya went out to play.

When the child failed to return in the evening, he went in search of his son but failed to spot him.

On Wednesday morning he received a call from the police station saying that his son’s dead body was found from the bushes of Khoosa Goth.

Some unidentified criminals after kidnapping him brutally torture and stuffing a piece of cloth in his mouth, hanged him. Ahmed added that he had no enmity with anyone and didn’t know who had killed his son.

Policeman found dead: Sub-Inspector Asghar Mio’s bullet-riddled body bearing torture marks was found from Surjani Town police limits, which was packed by the criminals in a gunny bag. The body seemed to be four days old. The police said that the body was found from the bushes in Sector-2 of Surjani Town and SI Mio’s kidnapping report was already lodged at the Saeedabad police station by deceased brother Mohammed Arshad.

‘Night riders’ sow fear in strife-hit areas

KARACHI, March 19: At night, when traffic on the roads becomes thin and shopkeepers pull down shutters, a different kind of business begins in certain parts of the city.

Armed youths on motorcycles and in cars are seen roaming about mainly in the eastern parts of the city on what they explain to people as their ‘security rounds’.

Raza Ahmed described such reports as idle gossip until he experienced it on the night between March 14 and 15. “I was on my way in my car from my sister’s home in Gulshan-i-Iqbal,” he recalls the episode. “I was intercepted at Landhi No 6 by two armed motorcyclists followed by a car, in which I could see at least four persons. I was convinced that I would be robbed and killed if I resisted.”

Under immense fear, the 32-year-old banker, however, received an absolutely different response from the gunmen. They asked him to get off the car and asked various questions of personal nature before letting him move on.

“They asked me my name, profession, address and where I was coming from. I was really surprised but, thank God, they didn’t harm me. I don’t believe that they were area youths. They were quite polite.”

For Mr Ahmed the gossip in his neighborhood turned out to be true on that night, but many residents in almost half a dozen areas of the city have been going through almost the same agony everyday for the last couple of weeks. They have realized that the area they are living in is now ruled by armed youths at night.

Anwar Farooq of Malir shares similar experiences with Dawn and recalls how he was asked a series of questions by four ‘armed boys’ on two motorcycles in Model Colony while he was going home after getting off work at Quaid-i-Azam International Airport in the small hours of the day.

“I was so frightened that I gave away my cellphone and wallet before they had uttered a word,” he says. “But they returned those articles and said they were only on ‘security duty’ and randomly checking people for that purpose.”

People in Shah Faisal Colony and Gulistan-i-Jauhar have nothing different to reveal. Besides the mysterious movement of the armed men in the areas, gunshots also crackle all night.

Amid hours-long load-shedding, intense firing and speeding of vehicles through the streets has not only robbed these residents of sleep but has also set alarm bells ringing in their minds amid warnings issued by political leaders about an imminent breakdown of law and order in the city.

“A big cache of arms and ammunition is being distributed in the metropolis as a part of conspiracy to target MQM workers and sympathizers,” Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain told a gathering of workers and supporters on the telephone from London at a programme held to observe the 24th founding day of the party the other night. Clashes between workers of the MQM and the Muhajir Quami Movement have also fuelled speculation that the days of pitched battles may return to the areas currently controlled by armed youths at night.

It is worth noting that areas in control of armed people remained centres of bloodshed and killings of opponent party workers for 10 years after June 1992, when the Muhajir Quami Movement (Haqiqi) emerged as an opponent of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in a few localities.

The authorities, however, appear aware of the recent mysterious activities in these areas. They believe the situation will become normal once the new political set-up takes over the provincial administration following the Feb 18 elections.

“It’s a kind of display of strength in the particular areas by various groups,” says Arif Ahmed Khan, Sindh’s home secretary. “But we believe it will settle down once the new government comes into power and addresses these issues.”

FC man killed in Quetta

QUETTA, March 19: A Frontier Corps man was killed and another was injured by armed men on a motorbike on the Manu Jan Road on Wednesday.

Police sources said FC personnel Zulfiqar Ali and Muladad were going to a market when they came under attack. Zulfiqar died in the Combined Military Hospital and Muladad was in hospital. The assailants escaped.

Meanwhile, security forces foiled an attempt to blow up a bridge on the Dera Bugti-Sangsilla road.

About 55kgs of high explosives in two bags had been placed under the bridge but were detected before the saboteurs could detonate them.

Accident: Six workers were killed and 18 others injured when a tractor trolley carrying them overturned on the Patfeeder road on Wednesday.

The workers were going to the Kachhi canal project from Sui when the tractor overturned and fell into a gorge near Rerifaqir, 7km from the Sui town.

Sui police claimed that five people had been killed, but sources said six workers had died and 18 had suffered injuries who were taken to a nearby hospital.

 PPP activist ‘burnt alive by rivals’ dies

HYDERABAD, March 19: An activist of Pakistan People’s Party, Manthar Rahimoon, who had accused the party’s rivals in Umerkot of burning him last week, died at the Hyderabad Civil Hospital's burns ward on Tuesday.

Manthar’s relatives protested against doctors after they were handed over the body and accused them of not providing him proper treatment. Later, they took the body to Chachro for burial.

He suffered serious burns near a petrol pump on the Chore road in Umerkot last week and was moved to Hyderabad Civil Hospital.

According to Umerkot-based journalists, Manthar had accused Rasool Bux Nohri and a number of other people of burning him alive as a punishment for acting as political agent of PPP's candidate Dost Mohammad Rahimoon at a polling station in Tharparkar on Feb 18.

Police had picked up Rasool Bux Nohri, an employee of health department, after Manthar's brother Ayub lodged a case against him and seven others.

Manthar was a truck driver and was sitting at a hotel near the petrol pump when he was attacked.

PPP's Dost Mohammad Rahimoon could not be reached over cell-phone. He, too, had gone to Chachro to attend Manthar’s funeral.

 Former AJK minister shot dead

MUZAFFARABAD, March 19: A former minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir was shot dead in the southern town of Mirpur on Wednesday and police suspect it to be a case of target killing.

Chaudhry Ali Mohammad Chacha, a senior practising lawyer, was leaving his home in the town’s F-2 sector for the district courts, along with a client, when he was attacked, SSP Yasin Qureshi told Dawn.

“Before getting into his car, he asked his son to get some books from inside.

At that time, two men appeared on the scene and shot at him with 30-bore pistols,” he said, quoting members of the deceased lawyer’s family.

He was rushed to the nearby district headquarters hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

“It looks like a target killing. But it is being investigated by a team headed by additional SP Chaudhry Munir,” said Mr Qureshi.

He said the accused, later identified as Sajid Soomro of Shikarpur and Ali Jan Soomro of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi, tried to run away but were overpowered by local people and handed over to police.

The accused also shot at and injured a motorcyclist who had tried to chase them. Moments later they struck a car coming from the opposite direction and were overpowered by a large number of people.

The body of the slain lawyer was handed over to his family after post-mortem. The burial would take place in his ancestral Chatro village on Thursday afternoon.

Chaudhry Ali Chach, 63, was the minister of law from July, 1996, to Jan, 2000, in the Pakistan People’s Party’s government.

In an earlier short-lived PPAJK government of 1990-1991, he had held the office of advocate general.

He was twice elected president of the District Bar Association Mirpur. Shortly before the July 2006 general elections in AJK, he joined the Muslim Conference.

 Fehmida makes it by 2/3rds majority

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly made history on Wednesday by electing PPP's Dr Fehmida Mirza as the first-ever woman speaker of any Islamic country with more than the magical two-thirds majority. Faisal Karim Kundi, who was elected deputy speaker, described it as 'a transition from dictatorship to democracy'.

Dr Fehmida Mirza, who later took oath as speaker of the National Assembly, got 249 out of 324 votes polled while her rival from the opposition Sardar Israr Khan Tareen could secure only 70 votes.

Of the total 324 polled votes five were declared invalid while four members, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Noorul Haq Qadri, Maulvi Ismatullah Khan and Hamid Yar Hiraj, did not cast their votes.

Faisal Karim Kundi, who took oath as deputy speaker, received 246 out of 318 polled votes while his rival Khushbakht Shujaat bagged 68 votes. Total votes polled were 318 of which four were declared invalid.

The results showed that the PPP-led alliance got 11 more votes than its numerical strength in the National Assembly (PPP 121, PML(N) 91, ANP 13 and JUI(F) 6) not counting the Fata members. Though Maulana Fazlur Rehman did not cast his vote in the speaker's election, he did cast his vote in the deputy speaker's election.

The PML-Q-led opposition's total strength is 81 of which the Q-League accounts for 51, MQM 25 and PML(F) 5. The outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain administered oath to Dr Fehmida Mirza.

The PPP, PML (N), ANP and JUI (F) termed the success of their candidates a first step to transition from dictatorship to democracy. The parliamentary leader of the Q-League Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi cautioned against confrontation with other pillars of the state.

Makhdoom Javed Hashmi in his emotional speech said it was time the two-thirds majority in the National Assembly buried the dictatorship forever. Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of the PML-N in his welcome speech congratulated the speaker on her election. He said today's election has proved that over two-thirds majority of the House would not compromise on the supremacy of parliament, the Constitution and restoration of the judiciary. "No dictator would dare destablise democracy," he declared.

Hashmi said Pakistan is passing through many crises that need unity and integrity of the members of this august House. He said the people of Pakistan are looking towards this House with great hope and we have to make our utmost efforts to live up to their expectations.

He expressed the hope that the media would enjoy complete freedom in the new era. He paid rich tributes to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto who sacrificed her life for the sake of democracy. He also paid glowing tributes to Mian Nawaz Sharif for his tremendous services for the restoration of democracy. He eulogised the services of those who offered sacrifices for an independent judiciary.

He said the time has come for parliament to take independent decisions according to the wishes of the people under the Constitution and no one could dictate parliament. Parliamentary leader of the PML-Q Chaudhry Pervaiz Illahi hoped that the speaker would run the House in accordance with democratic traditions. He hoped that the assembly would complete its tenure like the previous one.

He assured the speaker that the opposition would extend full cooperation, saying it would play a constructive role in the House instead of hampering the proceedings. He said the opposition would also extend cooperation to the new government in all matters of national interest, but would oppose any step that goes against the interest of Pakistan.

Ch. Pervaiz Illahi said that his party has accepted the mandate of all political parties and it expects from others to accept PML-Q’s mandate in Balochistan. He said horse-trading must be discouraged in order to promote real democracy.

Parliamentary leader of the ANP Asfandyar Wali in his welcome remarks said his party would extend full cooperation to the new speaker for the supremacy of the Constitution. He said Pakistan is on the threshold of history and this House has to take bold decisions carefully to pull the country out of the present crisis.

JUI (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said it is the responsibility of the new House to ensure the supremacy of parliament. "We will have to make parliament fully sovereign and from now on all decisions must be taken by parliament to infuse confidence into the people." He said it is the need of the hour to ensure provincial rights within the framework of the Constitution.

Dr. Farooq Sattar of the MQM said that they would extend full cooperation to the new government in its positive policies while keeping a vigilant eye on the performance of the government. He called upon the new government to utilise its energies for the prosperity and development of the country.

Muhammad Munir Orakzai from Fata hoped that the new assembly would pay special attention to the problems of Fata and resolve them amicably. Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo said that the election of a woman as speaker of the National Assembly would enhance the prestige of the country in the international community.

Earlier, in his brief remarks before handing over the chair to Dr Fehmida Mirza, the outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain congratulated the new speaker on her election and hoped that she would run the House smoothly.

He thanked the members of the previous assembly for their cooperation. He also thanked the members of the new House for extending full cooperation during the first session of the assembly. He said it is the responsibility of the House to work with vigour for the development and progress of the country.

He hoped that the new assembly would play an effective role in legislation for the benefit of the people of the country and promotion of democracy. Later, in her brief remarks, Dr Fehmida said that she would run the House in impartial way and would try to provide equal opportunities to all members irrespective of their party affiliation. She said that she would ensure a level playing field in the House and would set new norms of impartiality.

She expressed confidence that both treasury and opposition members would extend her their full cooperation in running the House smoothly. "I would take all members along for effective legislation and promotion of democracy in the country," she added. For the first time in the history of Pakistan's National Assembly the chair was addressed as "Madam Speaker".

Online adds: The newly elected Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza prorogued the assembly session for an indefinite period after administering oath to Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi.

 Fahim gives Zardari a back-handed compliment

ISLAMABAD: PPPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim on Wednesday reminded his party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to keep his promises. In his speech in the National Assembly, he felicitated the speaker and termed her election historic. "This is a historic moment as Pakistan now heads towards real democracy."

He said Asif Ali Zardari is a friend of friends and honours his commitment. "I hope he will continue to keep his promises," he added. He said it is the responsibility of all members of the National Assembly to work for a democratic, prosperous and developed Pakistan. He said the new government has to work hard to overcome the price hike.

Online adds: Meanwhile, while talking to media persons outside parliament before starting of the National Assembly session, Makhdoom Amin Fahim said he would wait for the nomination of prime minister till March 23, adding his son would not be a candidate for any office if no office was awarded to him according to his expectation.

"I will take all decisions in the supreme national interest and take steps to redress problems being faced by citizens of the country after taking office of prime minister," he said. No package, Fahim said, was prepared during his meeting with Asif Ali Zardari. He strongly condemned displaying of banners against him outside parliament and said the matter was settled after the strict notice of Asif Ali Zardari in this respect.

PPP would take decision about premiership after elections of speaker and deputy speaker National Assembly, he said, adding he is still in race for premiership. The party's central leadership is not in hurry to nominate candidate for the slot of premiership, Fahim pointed out.

After appointment of the speaker from Sindh and deputy speaker from Punjab, the impression and theory to nominate prime minister from Punjab is wrong, as in past the speaker, prime minister and president were appointed from Punjab.

To a question, Fahim said that there was no rift in the party. PPP is united and the party would take decision in supreme national interest, he concluded.On the other hand, Central leader PPP Nabil Gabol said that the name for the slot of premiership has been finalised and announcement in this respect would be made after election of speaker and deputy speaker National Assembly.

He told reporters that the prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker and federal ministers could be changed in case of poor performance while Amin Fahim was senior politician and he would not commit mistake to create rift in the party.

While PPP leader Shah Mehmud Qureshi ruled out that any name has been finalised for prime minister of the country. He said that he was not candidate for any position. "We are going to write history while electing a female member for position of speaker of National Assembly," he said. He told newsmen that manifesto of PPP was clear to empower women and it would be strengthened after election of the speaker.

 No mention of Musharraf in attack on dictatorship

ISLAMABAD, March 19: Leaders of the parties which plan to form a coalition government at the centre on Wednesday vowed to remove all “vestiges of dictatorship” from the country by restoring the parliament’s sovereignty and making the judiciary independent. On the other hand, opposition lawmakers warned against confrontation.

It was, however, a unique occasion as neither the treasury lawmakers nor opposition leaders made any direct mention of the presidency or President Pervez Musharraf in their speeches to felicitate Dr Fehmida Mirza on her election as speaker.

The new leader of the joint opposition, Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi, was the first speaker. Without directly hinting at the new coalition’s intention to drastically change the Constitution, he warned against going too far in an “attempt to acquire powers”.

He said that despite the opposition’s acknowledgement of the major parities’ mandate from day one, the PPP-led coalition was trying to subvert the PML-Q’s efforts to form government in Balochistan.

Mr Elahi accused the coalition of having started horse trading.

While felicitating the new speaker, the leader of the opposition said that instead of resorting to the frivolous practice of desk thumping, the opposition would be issue-oriented.

PPP’s Makhdoom Amin Fahim sarcastically remarked about the habit of the party’s co-chairman, Asif Zardari, of “keeping his word”.

Mr Fahim said: “We must focus our attention on ending dictatorship and ushering in democracy, for which all of us should rise above our personal interests and usher in a new era of development in Pakistan.”

PML-N’s Makhdoom Javed Hashmi highlighted the “dictatorial hurdles” in the way of democracy and said that the PPP-PML-N coalition had achieved a two-thirds majority, necessary for “undoing the undesired additions to the 1973 Constitution”.

Terming the newly-elected house the first sovereign house after a long time, he said in the past the parliament had been used for serving the interests of individuals. “This house has to weed out all marks of dictatorship by restoring its prestige as an independent decision-making institution. Its first step will be the restoration of the deposed judiciary.”

He said the revival of the Constitution alone could end uncertainty.

Amid loud desk-thumping, Mr Hashmi called for presentation of the defence budget in parliament.

He said it was time for parliament to take decisions on national issues instead of their being taken in Washington or the GHQ.

Javed Hashmi said he had won his seat for a sixth time, but this time he felt himself “most independent” as it comprised “anti-establishment lawmakers” who derived their powers from an elected parliament.

“The time has come to try and punish people who abrogated the Constitution.”

Asfandyar Wali Khan of the ANP said: “No other institution in the country is superior to this august house. We are determined to support all steps that will strengthen the Constitution and parliament.” Maulana Fazlur Rahman said: “All our decisions should be taken in this house. We must revert to an Islamic, democratic and welfare system.”

Dr Farooq Sattar of the MQM said that by taking part in the election of speaker, the opposition had tried to impress upon the would-be ruling coalition that heavy mandate entailed heavy responsibilities.

Dr Sattar criticised the coalition for the delay in the formation of government as it was impeding the solutions of people’s problems.

An independent MNA, Mian Manzoor Wattoo, came up with a number of proposal for the new speaker. He that the new prime minister should attend the house twice a week to reply to legislators’ queries.

He appealed to the ruling coalition to expand its national reconciliation agenda by encompassing the MQM and the PML-Q in the national government to face the challenges confronting the nation.

He suggested a review of the “war on terror” which, according to him, was “burning our own house”.

The president of his own faction of PPP, Aftab Sherpao, said the lower house should be sovereign and debates should be encouraged.

Raja Parvaiz Ashraf of the PPP paid tribute to Benazir Bhutto for “laying down her life for democracy”.

He said his party had learned the lesson of forgiveness and forgetting the past from the slain party chairperson. “We must proceed on the path of democracy to pay homage to our leader.”

 Lashkar-e-Islam volunteers demolish houses of kidnappers

BARA: Hundreds of Lashkar-e-Islam volunteers on Wednesday demolished the houses of three criminals in Khyber Agency for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a child from the Punjab.

The Shura of the organisation, led by its chief Mangal Bagh Afridi, met here to decide the fate of four people accused of kidnapping the minor for ransom and ruled in favour of demolition of their houses. The group managed to arrest three of the kidnappers, including Sayyal Muhammad, who is said to be heading an inter-provincial gang of kidnappers.

Immediately after the Shura decision, hundreds of volunteers moved to carry out the directive and demolished the houses of three of the accused while the fourth was expected to be demolished on Thursday.

The volunteers also razed the Hujra of Sayyal Muhammad despite an appeal made by his family members not to do so. Mangal Bagh rejected the plea that the Hujra belonged to the entire family. He said the place was used for planning criminal activities. "If the entire family could not restrict him from anti-social activities, then they should suffer as well," he argued.

The group on Tuesday raided the compound of an alleged gang of kidnappers and recovered a two-year-old-boy kidnapped near Chakwal Interchange on Motorway on February 26. The boy was later shifted to Bara in Khyber Agency and its abductors demanded a huge ransom for his release.

An FIR was lodged with the Chakwal police and a kidnapper, Shehzad, was arrested.

He disclosed to the police that the child was shifted to Khyber Agency. The family of the kidnapped child then contacted Mangal Bagh, who succeeded in tracing out the culprits.

A chain of arrests made during the process led the organisation to recover the child from one Razbat of Qambar Khel on information provided by Sayyal, the ringleader of the kidnappers from the area.

Mangal Bagh on Tuesday morning produced the kid before the media and said the parents of the child had been contacted.

 US contract for supply of F-16s’ warfare systems

WASHINGTON, March 19: The Pentagon has awarded a $78.2 million contract to a private manufacturer to supply Pakistan with electronic warfare systems for F-16 fighter jets.

The purchase will be made under the Foreign Military Sales Programme.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the Pentagon identified the contractor as ITT Avionics of Chandler Arizona, which has over 50 years of multi-platform experience in electronic warfare.

ITT provides technologies, systems and services to strategic, tactical and special operations aircraft.

Pakistan has selected the ALQ-211(V) 4 Advanced Integrated Defence Electronics Warfare System known by its acronym AIDEWS.

The Pentagon said the electronic warfare system will be used on the F-16 aircraft Pakistan is buying from the United States.

ITT will also supply associated spares with the AIDEW system, support equipment, training, engineering services, flight test support and data.

Pakistan has already provided $39,003,041 to ITT for this contract.

The warfare will be installed at the aircraft at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The contract had a positive impact on ITT’s shares in the New York Stock Exchange, which rose $1.61 to $54.85 on Tuesday.

The United States agreed to sell an unspecified number of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in February, 2007. Pakistan initially showed interest in buying 88 aircraft but later reduced the number to between 30 and 40.

AIDEWS provides electronic countermeasures and other capabilities for F-16s.

Recently, the ALQ-211 (V) 4 system was installed and integrated aboard 10 Peace Puma F-16s delivered to Chile.

“This integrated radar warning receiver/jammer, with its dual receiver architecture is the first new tactical electronic warfare system for fighter applications in years,” says ITT Electronic Systems President Chris Bernhardt. “This new digital technology results in more effective defence against threats to warfighters.”

AIDEWS also provides a fighter pilot with situational awareness and protection against radar-based threats, including modern surface-to-air and air-to-air weapon systems. It is built upon the ALQ-211 family of EW Systems now being used to support US Special Operations forces.

This version of the ALQ-211 utilises advanced wideband and digital receivers to quickly and accurately detect and identify several, complex emitters when operating in today’s high-density threat environment, says Henry Bourne, director of ITT’s Rotary Wing EW business area.

AIDEWS provides protection using a highly flexible, programmable technique generator that transmits deceptive countermeasure signals and coordinates use of chaff and flares.

The ALQ-211 alerts the pilot to foil radar threats by seeing the radar before it sees him, says John Dench, director of marketing for ITT Electronic Systems.

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